Wisconsin Basketball: Takeaways from opening loss to Saint Mary’s

1. Wisconsin needs more than just Micah Potter.

There has been plenty of discussion in recent weeks regarding the eligibility of Micah Potter. At the very least, the 6-foot-9 transfer from Ohio State will take the court following Wisconsin’s first semester but he could return earlier if granted a waiver. Either way, though, depth is a major concern for this team. Regardless of whether Potter is able to play prior to the semester break, Wisconsin’s reserve unit absolutely has to show up with bigger minutes moving forward.

Head coach Greg Gard showed a lack of trust in his bench against Saint Mary’s and the reserves did not exactly impress in response. Brevin Pritzl and Tyler Wahl were the only Badger bench players to see more than 10 minutes in this matchup as the team rode their starters for almost the entire game. Wisconsin’s reserves only provided two total points and that will simply not be enough as the season progresses, especially with the team’s daunting non-conference slate.

Micah Potter should definitely help once he is deemed eligible considering Reuvers was forced to play 42 of the possible 45 minutes in this one. Even with that said, though, more players need to step up off the bench. With matchups against Marquette, NC State, Tennessee, and possibly Auburn coming soon, the team will need the likes of Pritzl, Wahl, and Trevor Anderson to step up. That group was unimpressive in this matchup but at least fans know that Pritzl should be more impactful than he was in this contest. The others are unproven.

It would also help if Kobe King or Aleem Ford could emerge as more legitimate offensive options. They combined to score only 13 points on 4-for-11 shooting from the field. As it stands, Wisconsin does not have a superstar and really only has three scoring threats. Strong defensive play will carry the team throughout this season but they need more options.